Diana Garvis Purcel joined Famous Dave’s of America Inc., the Minnetonka-based barbecue restaurant chain, as chief financial officer in 2003, just months after leading Paper Warehouse through bankruptcy.

Red is the color of power and passion, and the symbolism of a ladder is self-explanatory. That combination of images was the motivation for Regina Barr to create a place where women in the banking and financial services industry could be coached, mentored and motivated. That, and the notion that someday soon, there’s going to be a vacuum in the upper reaches of corporate America, and smart, talented women need to be ready.

Variety is the spice of success for Ann Marie Woessner-Collins. As managing director of business and economic incentives for Jones Lang LaSalle Americas, a real estate firm headquartered in Chicago, Woessner-Collins helps companies determine the total cost of ownership (or TCO) for expansions or relocations.

Newspapers are full of stories about victims of predatory lenders and pseudo financial institutions that charge a premium for everyday banking services like check-cashing. But you don’t read much about the people who help the victims – people like Joanne Whiterabbit, vice president of community development at Woodlands National Bank in Minneapolis.

Theresa Ward, a financial planner and senior vice president of investments at Merrill Lynch, likens her role to that of a therapist. Her clients often confide in her. “I get to know who they are, what their family issues are and how they're doing that day,” she said.